A Painting of Celebration

When I first started painting cakes, it was nothing more than a bit of fun.

During the COVID pandemic, when connections between people had grown distant, a birthday cake painting I created on a whim brought a smile to someone who had lost their spirit.

Through that experience, I came to believe that painting is not merely a matter of technique. It can stand beside people in place of words.

Someone once said to me:

“You’re not simply painting cakes. You’re trying to paint life itself.”

My cake paintings are a celebration of life.

Living is not always easy. There are painful days and difficult moments.

Yet we continue to breathe, feel the changing air, and live through each day.

And sometimes, in an ordinary moment, we suddenly realize:

“I am alive.”

I think that simply being alive is something wonderful.

That is why, with every painting, I want to celebrate the miracle of living.

When we say “Congratulations,” we are honoring a person’s journey, their efforts, and the very fact of their existence.

A birthday is perhaps the clearest symbol of that celebration.

Once each year, it comes to every being born into this world.

With my imperfect hands,

I layer cream upon sponge cake,

just as I layer the days we have shared together.

I place the candles,

offer words of celebration,

sing a song,

give thanks for the year that has passed,

and welcome the year to come.

The candlelight illuminates joy,

and smiles fill the room with happiness.

— Come, let us celebrate.

May this painting be a painting of blessing and celebration for all who are alive.

Naoki Shimada